The present invention relates generally to firearms, and more particularly, to locking projections on a moving bolt assembly of a firearm for alternately changing the direction of cartridge ejection from the firearm.
Direction and position references made in this patent such as xe2x80x9chorizontal,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cforward,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cleftward,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crightwardxe2x80x9d assume that the firearm is in the normal firing position, where the bore axis of the barrel (i.e., the center longitudinal axis) is horizontal and shooting is in the forward direction away from the shooter.
A firearm of the general type of interest here is known from CH 580 269 A. Similar weapons also known from DE 24 42 044 and U.S. Pat. No. 2 481 548 A.
CH 580 269 shows a bolt assembly capable of converting the direction of cartridge ejection, but with an odd number of arrangement sites. DE 24 43 044 shows a bolt head with ten locking projections. However, it is not apparent where the cartridge extractor is placed on the weapon.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a bolt assembly is provided for use with a firearm having a barrel with a central longitudinal axis and a magazine for receiving cartridges. The bolt assembly includes a bolt head having a locked position and an unlocked position. The bolt head also has a periphery and an even number of arrangement sites located on the periphery. The bolt assembly further includes a plurality of locking projections positioned at a subset of the arrangement sites on the periphery of the bolt head. It also includes a cartridge extractor disposed at one of the arrangement sites which is not part of the subset and which is located horizontally adjacent the central longitudinal axis of the barrel when the bolt head is in the unlocked position.